Ugbe, who disclosed this in an interview, stressed that targets do not translate into successes if not worked for.
Cross River finished the last edition of the festival hosted in Port Harcourt in 2011 in the 15th position, with seven gold, 12 silver and 17 bronze medals.
Ugbe said the state was focusing on giving the athletes a good preparation, which is the key to a successful outing at the games.
``We don’t set targets for our athletes.
``We are focused on getting them in top shape for the sports fiesta.
``It is when preparation is over that we can say that we are ready for the festival. Then, we can evaluate our preparation.
``We see the performances of the athletes, then we can say based on this performance, we hope to do this or that.
``But we will be satisfied if we surpass our previous record,” Ugbe said.
He, however, added that the facilities on ground were enough motivation for the athletes to do well at the festival, noting that the athletes would be rewarded when they returned from the festival with laurels.
``There is no financial motivation or promise for the athletes now. All I can say is that they will be rewarded when we come back from the festival.
``The serious attention the state government is paying to sports, good training and the provision of modern facilities for the athletes’ training are enough motivation for them,” Ugbe added.
This year’s festival tagged: ``Eko 2012,” is the 18th in the series and will be staged in Lagos from Nov. 27 to Dec. 9.
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